Frequently Asked Questions

What size arm should I order, since you have four lengths?

This is all a matter of preference and the type of photography you will be doing. Will you use these arms for both macro and wide angle work or do you want to separate arms for macro and wide angle work is the first question you should ask yourself. How powerful are your strobes, the more powerful the strobes, the longer the arms can be for wide angle photography. If you are looking for an arm set up that will do both wide angle and macro, then we recommend either two eight inch segments or one five and one eight. It also depends on whether your arms will come off a tray or the top of handle.

Why should I purchase Ultralight arms over other types on the market?

We believe that our arms are the lightest weight (an important factor if traveling or if you have an already heavy camera set up). Our arms are designed with three clamps in the system. This gives you flexibility at the base of the arm as well as at the strobe. This flexibility lets you get into tight spots, side light, back light, and top light. When steadiness is important as with most photos this makes it very stable.

What is the purpose of the o-ring in the ends of the balls?

This allows a photographer to have a small amount of clamping force for small strobes, and a greater amount of clamping force for the larger strobes. This allows the strobe and arm to stay in place, but still have the ability to do fine adjustments with the strobe head without loosening the clamps to move the strobe arm. Without an o-ring in the ball ends, the clamp tends to bind when tightened due to metal to metal contact. We were the first company to add this o-ring.

What are your parts made out of?

Most of the parts are aircraft grade aluminum (6061), each piece is machined from billet aluminum, polished and then hard anodized to government specifications. All other parts are stainless steel and nylon.

What is the purpose of your pivot?

The Ultralight Control Systems pivot has revolutionized underwater photography. Our pivot allows the photographer to convert his camera set up from horizontal to vertical in less time than it takes his/her strobes to recycle. A simple push of the button on the back of the pivot moves the camera. The strobes never need repositioning when you switch the camera from vertical to horizontal format.

Can your arms adapt to my video system?

Yes. Our arms and adapters will work on video housings and lights.

What is the difference between the buoyancy arms and the regular arms?

Our buoyancy arms are tubular aluminum with glued ball ends. They are buoyant in the water due to the air that is held in the arms. Two twelve inch segments with the three clamps, base adapter and strobe adapter are neutral underwater. We make larger buoyancy arms that hold more air.

How can I mount a light on the system?

We have a number of flashlight adapters that will handle most underwater lights. These adapters utilize a clamp to attach it to an adapter that will either go on your hot (cold) shoe, mount in the arm system, on top of a handle. We have specific adapters for most housings. See the accessory page.